New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-08
1 HALTING COMMISSION

The Interstate Commission Is sudhScly Sio"
in announcing its decision, which was prom
iscd nearly a month ago, in regard TO the
temporary suspensions of the long and snort
barI clanse Ii was stated at that time, and
still later repeated apparently with the su-
thority of Mr. Morrison, that the Commission
would undoubtedly revoke all It's orders Oh
sus pension, would proceed to enforce the law
everywhere with impartiality from and after
July /. and would tun its especial attention
ia those railroads which, it was said, had per
ye,ted the act by interpreting 1T to their own
advantage and had rendered 1t odlous py
charging more for through rates and special ser.
vices than the Commission held they should
havo charged
Time is rapidly passing and July is near at
hand. and vet the Commission fails TO act.
The suspension on some roads still works great
Injustice to others. The suspension on nearly
all Southern roads still works injustice TO the
railroads and other transporting companies
Of Northern States. The Commission hears
complaints and testimony, OF which much goes
to prove that other suspensions besides those
already ordered are really needful On Monday
it was testified in respect to the application
of the Indianapolis and 1T. Louis Company
for tho suspension of the long and short haul
clause by State authority that the through
rates on other roads made it impossible Tor
that company to do any through business :
that its freight trains to the East are manly
made UP of empty cars and that II Its ROADS
we're restricted TO the law every line would DC
in the hands Of a receiver in less than year.
This striking testimony is not peculiar In
character. perhaps an hundred similar state
ments have been made within the last few
weeks for the information Of the Interstate
Commission. Applications from Northern roads
for relief continually multiply, and are sup
ported in many cases by most convincing eyl-
dence. 1t is not strange that this mass Oh
testimony should have some effect Sufficient
IN strong reason has been established Tor sus-
pending the operation Of the law in great
many cases. and much stronger reason than
existed for that suspension Of the law on
Southern roads which the Commission ordered
before il had been moro than whole day III
official and organized existence. To refuse re-
lief now, on better grounds than were thcn
deemed sufficient, would certainly lie onbar-
rassing to the Commission. Yet the Iom-
mission cannot well grant the suspension de
sired by many Northern roads, and at the
same time terminate the temporary rehof
already granted in other cases.
Probably the Commission is divided IL
would not he strange if members began to see
that they cannot PROSTATE the interests Oh
sections and States that they represent without
public censurc Local public sentiment III
almost every part of the country, demands
relief from the restrictions of the law, even
while tho clamor continues for the enforcement
of the law in all other parts Of the country
1t is reported that Commissioner Bragg strong
ly favors the continuance Of suspension ID
| behalf Of Southern roads. as being necessary
DO their profitable existence. But 1t Is IToo
able that he and other members OF the Com
mission begin to perceive that they cannot
favor one soction at the expense OF another.
or one road or set Of roads at the expense OF
others, without public disgrace. Possibly the
Commission is coming to be like Congress
itself. so divided in opinion that 1t Is prac-
tically unable to do anything.